For all the Grapplers: Cup or no cup?

[JaredExtreme]

I know a substantial amount of people doing BJJ and sub wrestling wear cups. I personally do not. My belief is that wearing a cup can negatively affect your technique. For example, if you are wearing a cup and you go for an armbar from the guard, you do not need to wory about the angle of your pelvis and whether your opponent's arm is going to squish your genitals. Therefore you keep practicing incorrectly while wearing the cup. This could be very detrimental when you might have to apply an armbar on the street and you're not wearing a cup.... all of a sudden you're hurting yourself more than your hurting the opponent.

I'd like to hear everyone's perspective on this subject.

[platinum_angel]

i don't wear it during practice and if i was in a tourny i wouldn't wear one, because like you said it might be detremental to my performence. now if there was striking involved like vale tude then yea i would wear one

[IPON]

You can't wear a cup on the street!!!!!

[gracilva]

Yeah i do, always, my jewels are very important to me
I also train doing armbars on either side of the groin so it doesn't
affect technique.
I catch a train to and from training in some hostile enviroments
so i do wear my cup on the way home (just in case)
Surprise surprise when some asshole thinks, i'll just kick this guy
in the nuts and take his wallet

[ryanhall]

Dude, do you ever do guard passing? Shin across the thigh can easily become shin in the nads. Definitely not something I enjoy. I didn't wear a cup for about the first week and a half that I was in BJJ. After that short but educational period of time, I decided that a cup was a good thing to have. Always wear a cup--shit happens.

[cakegirl]

Don't wear one. Then again, I am a girl.

[doubleouch]

Don't usually wear one. They are kind of uncomfortable. I don't find my techniques hampered in any way when I do. It sucks getting my nads tweaked every so often. But I'll take that risk for the sake of comfort. It is a bit of a non issue.

[radicus]

What if you have girls in your bjj class? I think it might bother them if you're going for an armbar an their arm is in your crouch.

[Szczepankiewicz]

Always.

Although I do enjoy training with those who argue against it. Oops, didn't mean to put my knee there as I was passing by...

[gracilva]

Always.

Although I do enjoy training with those who argue against it. Oops, didn't mean to put my knee there as I was passing by...

You sadistic magnificent bastard.

[gregimotis]

I don't wear one in training. I have had the cup displaced while grappling and gotten the old 'one in-one out'. I'll tell ya that ain't no fun either.

For tournaments or situations where I don't know/trust my partners, cup is better than no cup, IMO.

[Szczepankiewicz]

I don't know why I really wear a cup. The wife keeps the goods in a mason jar on her nightstand...

[Britt]

I generally wear a cup if everyone else in the class is, and don't if everyone else isn't. I'm kind of a weenie that way. I prefer not to, because they do mess up armbars and such for me, but I can see how having the jewels knocked up in my throat might negatively affect technique as well.

[NaTurE-of-WaTeR]

I wear a cup when grappling...too many painful expoerences not to...besides there is nothing wrong with protecting yourself when practicing..just know that on the street anything goes......

[seany85]

i always have a cup on when practicing.